


Mama Says

by IHateCheddar



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Katara (Avatar), Big Brother Sokka (Avatar), Blood and Injury, Bloodbender Zuko, Bloodbending (Avatar), F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hama is a great mom, Hama-adopts-Zuko au, Katara & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Kinda, Mama Hama au, No animals or Princesses were hurt in the making of this fic, Sokka & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, This fic is full of Good Times, Trust, Waterbender Zuko, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, a healthy dose, with a twinge of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:41:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23421841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IHateCheddar/pseuds/IHateCheddar
Summary: "I think you're ready to try something more advanced."Zuko, now ten years old, looked up from the turtle-duck he was feeding. "Really? Is it something cool?"-In which Hama is actually Zuko's Mama, in part inspired by MuffinLance's Mama-Hama au and in part inspired by my own wonderful imagination.
Relationships: Hama & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 119
Kudos: 1016





	1. Race to the South

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/gifts).



**(I don't own ATLA or its characters)**

* * *

Often, Hama wondered if life in prison would have been better than this. This miserable fucking existence playing house with a man like Ozai.

She still remembered the days right after she'd been caught for the second time. Even encased in a metal coffin so thick the ocean itself couldn't have gotten her out, Hama had still managed to frighten the monsters who held her captive with mere looks.

As if Hama had been the one who had burned their homes and brutalized their people. As if she had done ANYTHING wrong.

Yet they all looked at her with fear.

All except their Chief, the head monster if you will. Fire Lord Azulon was a man who was pale as death despite being so soaked in blood he might as well take a bath and drown in it.

No, he did not fear her. Nor did he flinch as grey eyes foretold the way which he would leave this world in all the painful ways they could. Arrogant as Hama had always known he must be.

Azulon's eyes did narrow when she told him where to shove it.

"Bloodbending," Azulon had said to a young man at his side, who eyed her with disdain. "Belongs in _civilized_ hands, where it can be properly cultivated and used to spread the glory of the Fire Nation. You understand this, Ozai?"

Cold gold met her icy glare, "Of course, my Lord."

Hama refused to blink until they left.

Soon she was forced to marry and lay with Ozai, the Fire Lord's youngest son. He was a cruel and callused man who somehow made his father look like a cuddly penguin-kitten. A man who felt he now _owned_ her.

A man who shouldn't have been shocked when Hama made her third bid for freedom as soon as the moon was full and her power was at its peak.

Dozens and dozens of bending thieves called "Chi blockers" had descended upon her that night, coming at her in droves until Hama was overwhelmed.

It didn't take long for them to guess her limitations and adapt.

From then on Hama was locked beneath the palace during the full moon. Away from anyone she could use.

That was fine, she decided as she stared into the eyes of her infant son. She would train Zuko to destroy them in her place.

Now, years later, it was time for lesson one.

"I think you're ready to try something more advanced."

Zuko, now ten years old, looked up from the turtle-duck he was feeding. "Really? Is it something cool?"

"Very." Hama grinned, motioning him closer. "You know that water is in everything, yes?"

Zuko nodded, watching as his Mother crouched down at the pond.

"Then you also know that a waterbender is never truly helpless." Hama smiled as a turtle-duckling crawled into her hand. "Watch closely."

Zuko did watch closely as the turtle-duckling made an unearthly sound of pain as it _twisted_. Forced to follow his Mother's movements as if it were being held up by invisible strings.

"What are you doing..?" Zuko whispered, feeling his blood run cold. "You're... You're hurting him!"

"You need to think about the possibilities, my dear Zuko."

Hama stared unblinkingly as she forced the turtle-duckling's head up, petting under its chin.

"It's the only way you'll survive in this world."

Zuko felt his eyes become very wet very fast. "It's mean! It's mean and _wrong_ and-"

"Zuko." Hama turned to look her son in his wide, unfortunately _Fire Nation_ eyes. "Look at him, what do you see?"

"A ba-baby."

"That's the problem, that's not all this turtle-duck is." Hama stood up, handing the creature over to her son's trembling hands. "It's a being full of water, just like the grass and the flowers. Just like you and me."

Tears rolled down pale cheeks as Zuko clutched the too-still turtle-duckling to his chest. "I.. I don't want to! Please, please don't make me-!"

"It doesn't matter." Hama sent a murderous glare the Palace's way, not that her son could appreciate it with all his crying. "You have the ability, so you _must."_

"..O..Okay."

Zuko heard his own weak, pathetic, miserable croak and nearly stumbled. Nearly didn't recognize it as his own. He felt his limbs move into the familiar stance and his lungs breathe, but it didn't feel like he was controlling either.

Like he himself was a spectator in his own body. A ghost forced to watch from the inside as Zuko of the Caldera connected to blood for the first time. Breath hitching as the little being in his grasp went rigid.

"Congratulations Zuko, you're a bloodbender."

The Prince started to hate going to the turtle-duck pond after that.

They all ran from him.

* * *

Waterbending was as fluid and elegant as firebending was fierce and sharp. The Royal siblings, now the only heirs the Fire Nation had, perfectly exemplified this as they moved in a strange tandem before their grandfather.

Grandfather hardly seemed impressed.

"Ozai why do you waste my time with this pointless pomp?" The Fire Lord demanded. "You two _out_ , I wish to talk to your father alone."

Zuko made for the door when Azula dragged him behind a curtain.

_"What are you doing?"_ He whispered-hissed. "We could get in trouble!"

"Only if you don't shut up." She shot back, turning to watch their father make a bid for the throne.

It didn't go well.

* * *

Zuko opened his eyes to see a giant white orb in the sky.

_Why is the moon in my bedroom?_

Belatedly Zuko realized he wasn't in his room at all.

Instead, Zuko was on a boat buried beneath several blankets. A boat that was moving very very fast towards nowhere in particular.

Feeling much like he was having a very strange Mango-are-talking-to-me type dream, Zuko sat up. Gold eyes landing on the figure who conducted the ocean.

He jumped when wide grey eyes locked onto him and, for a split second, Zuko didn't recognize them as belonging to his Mother.

"Uh.. Mama where are we going?"

"A safe place." The boat rocked with Hama's movements. "Where no monsters can harm or use you."

"Monsters?" Zuko cocked his head to the side, "Am... Am I dreaming?"

"You should be, now go back to sleep."

"But-"

"-But _nothing."_ His Mother steamrolled right over him. "Bed. _Now."_

Zuko blinked blearily at his Mother, before laying back down. The raised walls somewhat shielding him from the wind and saltwater as the rocking of the hull eventually coaxed him back into a dreamless sleep.

When he woke up the next day Zuko was told two truths that would shatter his world. A) His father wanted him dead, and B) he could never go home.

The third thing he learned was less fact and more of a general knowing that things would never be the same.

* * *

Zuko had been right, of course. Everything changed the day they left the Caldera.

In the small coastal town of Hinzyu on the largest of the Three Vulcan Islands, Hama and Zuko made their home.

They had originally just been passing through on their way to the colonies, planning to stay at the local inn for a few nights rests. That was when the old Innkeeper, Gonzu, offered his Mother a job.

Old Man Gonzu claimed his joints were getting old and worn and that he had never been much of a cook anyhow.

In retrospect, it probably had more to do with Old Man Gonzu being a pervert who had a thing for his Mother than any actual need of help. But at eleven years old, Zuko didn't think much of the way he talked or looked at her.

Zuko also didn't think much of it when barely a month later, Old Man Gonzu mysteriously died while out for a midnight walk. Leaving the Inn to his only employee.

Luckily for them, neither did the town of Hinyzu. Even when someone started going missing every month on the full moon.

The Spirits must just be angry is all.

* * *

This morning started like any other; with Zuko in his bed, nuzzled so deeply in his blankets he might risk becoming physically conjoined with them.

He was, that is until his Mother ripped them from him with a cheerful cruelty.

"Wakey wakey!" She gave his side a few good pokes. "The sun is up, birds are chirping-"

"-I'd rather be snoring."

Hama laughed, "Come on boy, we have shopping to do."

"You mean _I_ have shopping."

"Glad to see you're excited." Patting his head Hama made for the door, "Breakfast will be ready in ten!"

"Yeah, yeah.." Zuko slid off the bed, watching his Mother leave before changing into his day clothes.

They were nothing like what he used to wear in the Caldera. Instead of elaborately designed silk robes, he wore simple peasants wear, something even the servants in the palace wouldn't have dared worn.

Azula would probably laugh if she saw him.

Stomping down the attic steps all the way down into the kitchen Zuko made a grab for a plate at the same moment his Mother made a grab for his head.

Ducking Zuko swatted her away, "Quit it."

"I will not!" Hama huffed, grabbing his face as she licked her thumb. "Honestly boy you could at least BRUSH your hair-"

"- It's _fine!"_

"For a homeless man." Hama fixed him an unimpressed look as she did her level best to fix... THIS.

"You're overreacting."

"Overreacting? You look like a bird has been living in your hair!"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably, "It's not that bad."

Throwing her hands up Hama went back to the stove. "Don't blame me if that Bakery-Girl laughs at you."

Grumbling Zuko hopped on the counter, picking at his food as his Mother went on to tell him what his chores were for the day.

"-I'll need you to go down to the market for some bread, eggs, and go by the beach for some hermit-fiddlers." Hama stuck the spoon out to him, "How does this taste?"

"Fine, and I got it. Do you want me to see if Old Man Heto has any ocean kumquats in?"

Hama raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to help me make the soup you're oh so subtly hinting for me to make?"

"I _heavily_ implied it." Zuko stabbed his eggs, "And of course I'll help."

"To be blessed with such a considerate son."

Zuko lightly kicked at her leg, "Shush."

Shoving the last two sausages into his mouth Zuko hopped off the counter to give his Mother's cheek a kiss.

"I'll try to be back soon, love you."

Smiling, Hama started streaming the porridge out of the pot. "Don't steal anything."

"No promises!"

* * *

Zuko used his bending to fill the hermit-fiddlers burrows with water. The newly evicted crabs snapped their claws angrily at him before trying to scurry away.

Zuko almost felt bad as he stopped them cold.

Lifting the tiny corpses up the Prince-in-hiding sent them to the bucket, before shifting back into the stance needed to fill the burrows.

If he was just a little better, maybe more like his sister, he would be able to just pull them straight out of the dirt. To tell the hermit-fiddlers apart from the worms and beetles below the mashy sands.

Ear twitching Zuko turned to see a feathered fiend digging through his bucket.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

Staring Zuko right in the eye the thief (who Zuko would later note was a crab-piper) shoved a hermit-fiddler right in its beak before taking off.

As if they expected Zuko to have a normal reaction and curse them from afar.

Legging it like his life and honor depended upon it Zuko opened up the forest with a wave of his hand, caring little for the few stray twigs and briars scratching catching at his ankles.

_Azula wouldn't have left anything_ \- Was the last bitter thought Zuko had before the very earth betrayed him.

In retrospect, the tugging and pulling might have actually been the Spirits of the South Poles desperately trying to slow their second-to-last waterbender down long enough to see the hill he was currently tumbling down like a very fleshy and breakable ball.

* * *

Zuko wasn't sure when he passed out, but when he woke it was definitely no longer morning since Agni was directly overhead.

The weight of something on top of him immediately sent a jolt through him, as years of having Azula as a sister would, only to see an animal was laying on his chest. One covered in lots of red and gold feathers and… Had crab legs curled up around it…

The hermit-fiddler thief blinked his buggy-crab eyes down at him, making a sort of cooing noise as it reached out to poke him in the face.

What the fuck?

"Okay.." Damn his throat hurt. "Okay.. If you can just… Not finish me off and.. and kinda..."

Zuko didn't know where he was going with that.

"Please get off of me." Seemed like a nice ending point.

The thief retracted his leg, only to hunker down further as if to prove a point. A small warm spot in the cold expanse surrounding them.

Actually.. It really shouldn't be this cold. Why was he shivering so much?

Weakly, he forced his blood-caked arm up to wrap it around the crab-piper when the pain hit him.

The sight of his bone jutting out of his skin nearly made Zuko throw up.

Scooting up to lay against the decline of the hill the Prince-in-hiding took a deep, adrenalin-filled breath. He could fix this, he _could_ , he just needed to shove it back in and sew himself up. His Mother taught Zuko to sew his pants so skin couldn't be _that_ different-

His only source of body heat pecked at the offending bone, which was about as pleasant as you could expect.

Gritting his teeth Zuko tried to blink away the dots in his vision. If just touching felt like THAT, would he even be able to stand to push it in?

He had to. Zuko was a man of the Southern Water Tribes', his mother had told him countless stories of warriors getting broken and impaled but still being able to drag themselves home. Surely, he could handle setting a bone.

That's why he definitely did not whimper when he laid his hand over it, nor did he vomit when he gave it a white-hot pain-inducing shove.

Fresh blood gushed out of Zuko as he heaved, ignoring the angry tittering of the newly evicted crab-piper.

He could feel the blood like always, but it did nothing to soothe him- he was _everywhere._ Blood was all over the ground and not enough was _in him_ and he was getting colder and colder...

Breathing in Zuko took control. Stopping the bleeding was as simple as that, but putting anything back was another thing entirely.

_You still have to sew it closed,_ a part of him reminded. Knowing he couldn't. He wasn't his sister. He wasn't _Azula_. Who would have no issue doing any of this.

As if she would be stupid enough to end up in this situation.

Blood coated his fingers as Zuko laid them over his wound, breathing through his teeth as he focused on putting it back. Trying, desperately praying he could fix enough of what was broken to get back home.

Zuko was too delirious to really appreciate the white light that consumed his blood, but the strange peace that fell over his fear-ridden mind as the pain subsided was nice. He could feel the blood staying in on its own as his hands fell away.

Zuko figured he could think about it later as his eyes got heavier and heavier. Even the cold no longer bothered him.

The thief was obviously warm enough for the both of them anyway.

* * *

His Mother could never know about this.

Zuko wasn't even completely sure which reaction he would get to having broken (and miraculously healed) his arm, but he wanted to experience neither. So this would obviously have to die with him.

The scar on said arm might be hard to explain, though.

"Maybe she won't notice." Zuko voiced out loud and definitely not to the crab-piper who circled the Prince-in-hiding as he scrubbed off.

Dried blood was not all that bendable.

"I'm getting older; she doesn't bathe me anymore and I can just wrap bandages around it-"

Amused clucking was met with this.

"Yeah, well, no one asked you." Zuko huffed, even if the crab was completely correct in his assessment of how well that plan would pan out.

The bird himself seemed unbothered, swimming closer to try to bite at his hair.

"Hey, cut that out." Zuko grumbled, sinking down into the water as the avian-crustacean searched him for bugs. "Just because you paid me back for _stealing my shit_ doesn't mean you can just.. just..."

Gesticulating Zuko's face reddened when he realized he was indeed talking to the crab-piper.

Slapping the water dramatically Zuko groaned.

"She's going to know, isn't she?"

The crab-piper didn't even need vocal cords to tell him she would. A few hair tugs sufficed.

* * *

Zuko shut the backdoor behind him, setting the bucket on the floor as he tried to silently tiptoe upstairs and avoid the inevitable.

"Good you're back." The inevitable laughed. "I take it Bakery-girl did more than fuss over your hair."

Hama paused at that, listened, and confirmed she was still not being screamed at. Turning around she raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Her son said in a tone that said everything was.

Stepping away from the pot of broth-to-be Hama walked over, taking the bag of Fire Nation fruit from her son's grasp.

"Hmm, well you don't quite look like a bird's been living in your hair, so something must have happened." Hama said, which was really ironic considering a bird _was_ currently living in it.

Leading him over to the counter, she said. "You know, back in the South Pole, we would talk to our parents about our troubles. Secrets were bad for the community, you see, so lying was always worse than whatever they may have done."

Eyeing the cloth wrapped around her son's forearm for only a moment Hama continued, "Or had done to them. Child are you afraid your dear old frail mother will start a fight she can't win?"

Snorting Zuko finally met her gaze, "You're anything but _frail_. No, it's... I was just stupid."

Then he told her, like a weak-willed worm who couldn't handle being even lightly squeezed.

"And then the blood...Glowed? I think it might have been the spirits, actually. The town is haunted, after all."

Hama didn't say anything.

"What?" Anxiety churned his gut. "You.. You don't think so?"

"I think you have a gift the South Pole used to hold in high regard." Hama began, picking up an ocean kumquat. "Healing is a lost art of our people, one which it seems you possess."

"We... We can _heal?"_ Zuko felt like a rug had been ripped out from under him. "Since _when?_ Why have you never told me? Never shown me how?!"

"I never had any talent for it, so I assumed you'd be the same." Ripping the juice from the fruit, Hama met his angry gaze. "Destroying is easier than mending. I would hate to see you break yourself trying."

"What? Did you think I'd take a knife and some water and try my luck?"

His Mother just gave him an unimpressed look.

"Well, whatever reason you had I _do_ have talent for it."

Hama's face soured, freezing the kumquat juice. "I already told you I can't teach you."

"We'll just have to find someone who can." Zuko waved his hands as he spoke, "I have the ability so I _must_. Maybe we could find some scrolls or books-"

"Our people burned them to keep the Fire Nations bloody fingers off of them." Hama cut in.

"Then I'll have to find a master." Zuko decided. "The South must have someone and I always wanted to see your Homeland-"

"There is _nothing_ to see." Hama snapped. "The Fire Nation destroyed our Tribes', our benders, our _everything_. You won't find any answers there."

"How do you know?" Zuko felt his frustration rise. "You haven't been there in decades! They could be thriving for all we know."

"I know because I watched it happen! Our people are _dead_ because of those ashmaking brutes."

"Someone must be out there." Zuko desperately hoped so, anyways. "Waterbending is my only real connection with our people, I _have_ to master it. To be good at it is the only way I can honor them."

Hama didn't say anything at first

Setting a hesitant hand on his Mother's shoulder Zuko swallowed, "Please, let's get away from here. This is isn't your home and it doesn't have to be mine. You can show me the snow and icy world you grew up in. Show me the penguin-otters and the wall of our ancestors."

"I'm afraid that it's too far a journey, with no happy ending." Hama reached up, squeezing his hand with hers. "Going to the South will only bring you pain. I don't want to speak of this again."

Zuko felt like he'd been slapped.

"How will I-"

"Not another word." Hama met his gaze, softening as she cupped his cheek. "If you truly wish to honor our people I will show you my way. You can join me in doing the Spirits work."

Grumbling, Zuko picked up an ocean kumquat. "I don't want to just run this in."

"It's much more than that, my child." Hama kissed his cheek, "Just drop this and you'll understand. Okay?"

"..Yes ma'am."

* * *

Zuko did not drop it.

Later that night, under the nearly full moon, he moved quietly through the village he had grown up in these last four years. The citizens of Hinyzu were well accustomed to boarding their windows and not looking outside due to all the supernatural activity in the area, so he was hardly worried about anyone seeing him.

But one could never be too careful.

Shaking off the thought Zuko arrived at the docks. Freezing himself a platform of ice to ride out on as he made a fog to cover his escape. Without his Mother there getting to the South Pole would be a long, lonely journey...

.. Or it might have been if Zuko had remembered to put a certain feathery crustacean back before he left.

* * *

"This is fine," Zuko told himself when he did inevitably find the crab-piper he maybe-sort-of-kidnapped. "I can just.. Drop you off on at the Earth Kingdom. Maybe Kyoshi, they have beaches right?"

The crab-piper stepped out of the way of the human's neurotic pacing. Missing the warmth of his personal hair forest.

"No, no I _can't_. You're a cinder ridden Fire Nation animal there is no way that will end well for _anyone_. Least of all you."

Continuing his pacing Zuko ran a hand through his bird-free hair. Generally regretting his life decisions. When a thought occurred to him.

"The Water Tribe probably wouldn't know that though, would they?" Crouching down, he gave the still-unnamed-crustacean chin scratchies. "They'll probably assume you're from the Earth Kingdom."

And honestly, who was Zuko to correct them?

* * *

Zhao was having a good day. A good, maybe even great day. The kind that typically accompanied one of his promotions. The type of day no one could ruin.

No one, that is, but an absolute asshole like the savage that just sped past his base. Soaking his everything with a crashing wave that might as well have been piss for all the respect it showed.

"Captain, do you.. Uh, do you want to shoot him down?" His Lieutenant, Chang Li, squeaked.

"No... No that would be a _waste_ of resources for one man." Zhao steamed just as the saltwater soiling his uniform did. "That bastard will burn at my hands as all trash should."

Lieutenant Chang Li nodded, "Shall I prepare your personal ship then, sir?"

"Yes." Zhao watched the savage waterbend away as a very-nice, I-found-a-litter-of-puppy-kittens-to-eat grin stretched across his face. "It's been a long while since we raided the Southern Water Tribe."

* * *

**Hope you like this :D or at the very least it distracted you from the pandemic for a hot minute**

**Please like, comment, and share! I also have a Tumblr (@IHate Cheddar) where you can ask questions or just follow me for fanart.** **Thanks again to MuffinLance for the original Mama-Hama au, I prolly wouldn't have had this idea without that in my subconscious lol**

**Next stop: The South Pole!**


	2. Watch Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gran Gran interrogates a firebender

"Guys, you got to focus! What if the Fire Nation attacked?"

Six pairs of blue eyes blinked up at him, before continuing to adjust their tail-slide.

Ever since Popsicle Boy ran off with Katara to go harass the local wildlife, his warriors kept _faking potty breaks_ to play with the giant Snot Monster. As if they weren't at war and that thing couldn't eat them all in one bite if it so wished.

Sokka gripped his hair as he struggled to keep his temper. Yelling wouldn't win this battle, yelling would only make them dig their heels in more or worse _cry-_

A loud shout of, "FUCK!" did end up echoing across the village, but it didn't come out of Sokka's mouth.

No, it had come out of the boy who had just crash-landed right in Sokka's newly repaired, but now utterly _demolished_ Watch Tower.

Sputtering exactly the right amount for this situation, Sokka didn't fumble at all with his machete as he pulled it out and stomped over. His warriors... Readied themselves behind the bison. Prepared for a sneak attack.

"Oi asshole! Hands where I can see them."

The Destroyer of Towers and Dreams sat up, hair sticking up everywhere, and blinked up at Sokka, who only now could appreciate that he was both incredibly foreign (seriously since when did humans even have eyes like that-) and about his age.

Unfortunately for Mr. Penguin-beak eyes, he was also very very stupid, because neither did he put his hands up nor did he bother to even look slightly remorseful for his crimes. Instead asking, "Which one of the Southern Water Tribes am I at?" as if there was more than one.

"Hey pal, I'm asking the questions here." Sokka jabbed him with the blunt of his machete for emphasis. "Now how many ships are you bringing?"

"Uh...I didn't bring any?" The Tower Terminator winced. "Sorry, is it customary to give gifts?"

Sokka felt his eye twitch.

"Do you think this is funny?" Sokka gestured around, "Go on and have a big belly chuckle! You did such a good job invading our village and destroying our Watch Tower after all!"

"Oh, is that what that thing was?" Standing up with absolutely no mind to the fucking blade in his face, the Invader took in the wreckage of his sins. "Sorry... I'll, uh, fix it."

"Like I'm going to let you-" Sokka began. Voice dying in his throat as the snow moved with the foreign boy's hands.

He watched as Frizzy Hair seemingly danced through the strange movements. The snow in his control melting into water as it was shaped it back into an odd rendition of its former glory.

"Uh, there." With a last clench of his fingers, the _waterbender_ lowered his hands. "No harm done right?"

The Southern Tribes' Watch Tower was taller now, if slightly crooked. Not to mention made of _solid ice_.

Sokka gaped wordlessly at him.

This was, of course, when a certain monk decided to set off a flare in the distance.

* * *

Zuko grumbled.

"Is this _really_ necessary?"

The boy with the Machete gave him a look, tightening the ropes.

"Better safe than sorry." He said unrepentantly, and Zuko hated how much he couldn't disagree. "Gran Gran can interrogate you while I go deal with that bald dipshit."

 _"Sokka."_ Gran Gran chastised. But she wasn't disagreeing.

"So you're the Chief then?" Zuko guessed, instead of asking what they were talking about, like a good hopefully-temporary-prisoner. "Or.. Chieftess, I guess?"

"My _father_ is the Chief." Sokka huffed. _"I'm_ in charge while he's leading our men in the war."

"Oh.. Well I hope I get to meet him soon."

Sokka didn't say anything for a moment, just checking his bindings.

"Yeah, me too."

Satisfied with his work, Sokka walked over to the supplies he'd gotten off of Zuko.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't have any stabby-things to stab people with," Sokka called over his shoulder as he picked up _Zuko's_ bag. The water inside slushing as it was knocked about.

Grimacing, Sokka held it out at arm's length. "Do I even _want_ to know what you have in this thing?"

Shrugging, Zuko leaned back on his haunches.

"Open it and find out."

Sokka did.

Sokka immediately regretted his life choices.

Screeching, he immediately threw the bag as far away as fucking possible as he scrambled back. Hitting the wall as he sputtered indignantly.

Zuko bit his lip, shaking with repressed laughter. "They're just puppets."

 _"_ _Koh's_ _minions' more like,"_ Sokka whisper-breathed, looking for all the world he was facing down a jiangshi.

After a full twenty seconds of this, Gran Gran gave a sigh.

"Are you going to go deal with your sister or should I?"

That seemed to snap the Deputy-Chief out of it.

Giving Zuko a _look_ , Sokka made for the door. Giving the inanimate wooden dolls a wide berth.

Zuko couldn't help but laugh.

"Is he always like this?"

Gran Gran hummed in affirmation, walking over with a pot of tea Zuko hadn't realized she was brewing.

"Now tell me, who are you?"

"Zuko." Swallowing, he inclined his head. "I am Zuko, I mean. Only son of Hama of the Southern Water Tribes'."

The sound of shattering porcelain could be heard all throughout the Watch Tower.

* * *

Katara had initially felt sick to her stomach when she walked back to the village in shame.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake."

But now all she felt was righteous rage.

"No, I'm keeping my promise to dad, and protecting you from threats like him."

"Aang is NOT our enemy!" Katara felt like she was arguing with a lump of snow. "Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time; fun."

"Fun?" Sokka sounded hysterical. "WE CAN'T FIGHT THE FIRE NATION WITH FUN, KATARA!"

"You should try it sometime." Aang butted it, unhelpfully.

"You knew going on the ship was forbidden." Sokka hissed, "You _knew_ how much danger it could put us all in."

"Fine!" Katara had never felt so angry in her entire life. "Then I'm banished too!"

Grabbing Aang by the wrist she dragged him over to Appa. "Come on Aang, let's go."

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"To find a waterbender." She called over her shoulder. "Aang is taking me to the North Pole."

"I am? Great!"

Sokka seemed oddly unconcerned though. Instead, he just smirked.

"Oh? Is that right?"

Whirling around Katara scowled. "Yeah, it is."

"That's rather unfortunate." Sokka drawled, looking at his nails as if he didn't take her even a little seriously. "Rat-headed bastard came all this way, too."

Katara sputtered.

_"Who?"_

Making an elaborate hand gesture, Sokka shrugged, "Oh right, while you were too busy putting us all in mortal danger Mr I-can-fix-anything-with-my-magic-fingers crashed into our village. Maybe he'll let you play with his creepy dolls if the Fire Nation doesn't burn us all alive."

"That's… That's not funny, Sokka." Katara mercilessly shoved down that desperate, stupid hope in her chest. That this could be anything but a taunt. "You _know_ how much this means to me."

Meeting her eyes, Sokka smirk disappeared. "Enough to abandon your family over? Your tribe? Would you really leave us for a stranger?"

"Katara," Aang cut in. "I don't want to come between you and your family."

Like a snowball in the middle of the Fire Nation, Katara's ire melted away into a lumpy wet pile of sadness.

"Is this..." Katara swallowed. "Really goodbye?"

"I guess so." Aang offered her a sad smile. "Thank you for penguin sledding with me."

* * *

"Kanna." Zuko repeated, "You're Kanna. _T_ _hat_ Kanna?"

"I take it your mother spoke of me?"

Nodding dumbly, Zuko followed the old woman with his eyes. Watching as she went through the motions of cleaning up the remains of the teapot.

"I could do that, you know." Zuko resisted the urge to just break free. His ropes had plenty of condensation at this point, but trust was a hard-earned thing. "I know your grandson wouldn't like it, but I don't bite."

Kanna didn't answer him at first.

"You're Fire Nation." Was all she said after a while, and really, it was all she needed to.

"I'm the result of my mother's imprisonment." Zuko closed his eyes. _His_ eyes. "I don't pretend to exist out of parental affection, I know what I am."

Kanna didn't say anything at first and, for a brief moment, Zuko wondered if she had left. This pondering caused him to nearly jump out of his skin when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

Looking up, he met the blue eyes of a woman he had only ever heard about in stories. Kanna's voice was firm even as she whispered, _"Did she escape?"_

Her hand shook with the force of the question.

"Yeah." Zuko nodded faintly, "We both did."

Sinking back to the floor, Kanna let out a shaky, but deeply relieved sob.

* * *

Her breath caught in her throat when Katara entered the village, as only now could she appreciate the changes to her brother's oh so precious Watch Tower.

"Yeah, I know." Sokka shook his head, "Somebody's obviously compensating for _something,_ and it isn't his hair."

"Sokka!"

* * *

Zuko sipped his tea, resisting the urge to rub his still-numb wrists.

"So what was my mother like? When she was young that is." Zuko's face warmed. "I know you were close."

Kanna stirred her cup, thinking for a moment.

"Hama was reckless and bold." Laughing, she shook her head. "I remember once she had the frosted idea of freezing ice to her feet slick sliding down the mountain."

"Did she?"

"She gave me a heart attack is what she did." Kanna huffed. "Foolish girl is lucky she didn't break her stupid neck."

"She meant a lot to you."

"She meant _everything."_

"Mama would be happy to know you're alive." Zuko smile softened, "She loved you, still does I think."

"Why isn't she with you?" Kanna asked with not just a bit of suspicion.

"I, uh.. I wasn't supposed to come."

Kanna raised her eyebrows, "Ah."

"I have healing abilities," Zuko tried to explain. Willing Kanna to understand and not stare at him as if he were _simple._ "I get Mama couldn't teach me, but she wouldn't help me either. That's why I came here; I knew someone had to be left and I have to learn this."

Face becoming hot, Zuko immediately dropped into a bow. "If you'll have me, of course. I would never make presumptions upon your hospitality!"

It was at this moment a girl about his age barged in.

"Is he..?" The strange girl breathed, blue eyes wide as she took him in.

"Uh, hi." Zuko didn't dare raise up from his bow.

"Katara, this is Zuko. Zuko, this is my granddaughter, Katara."

A beat.

"You don't have to grovel, we're not feeding you to the seal-bears." Kanna rolled her eyes, "Dear Tui you're just like your mother."

"So he's staying?"

"As long as he behaves." Kanna met his gaze. "I still have reservations on some things. Give me one reason and I'll send your hiney back to Kyoshi."

Zuko inclined his head, "You won't regret this."

Katara made a happy noise and hugged her grandmother, and Zuko couldn't help but wonder why. He was a perfect stranger after all.

Turning to him, Katara answered these burning questions with one of her own, "So will you be my master?"

Oh.

Oh _fuck._

"Uh, you don't have one?"

Katara's expression became solemn and Zuko could practically hear his mother singing 'I told you so' in his ear as she said, "I'm the only waterbender in the whole South Pole. The Fire Nation killed everyone else."

Zuko felt bile rise in his throat.

"That's _horrible."_

"So it's not like that at the North Pole?" Katara asked. Not even hopefully, just _asked_. Like one would ask about the weather instead of a literal genocide.

"Actually, Zuko isn't from our sister tribe." Kanna stood, collecting their dishes. "His mother was taken during a raid. She escaped."

"You're a _Southern_ Waterbender?" Katara looked like her birthday had come early.

"Maybe." Zuko muttered, burying his face in his arms. This was such a mess.

Kanna looked over at the two teens, before turning to her granddaughter. "You should take him to your brother, Sokka could use all the help he can get defending our home."

Katara gave a determined nod, before hauling Zuko to his feet with more strength than she had any right to.

Zuko didn't bother asking to grab his bag and instead dragged it over by the water inside.

Katara looked _ecstatic_.

"So you carry extra water in there?" She asked, looking far more impressed than Zuko felt he deserved. He wasn't even that _good._ "That's a thing real waterbenders do?"

"You _are_ a real waterbender."

"Not really." Katara tucked one of her hair loopies behind her ear as her face flushed. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Letting her drag him out of the Watch Tower that now actually looked like a Watch Tower, Zuko struggled to articulate a proper response to that.

"Okay." He began, trying to ignore all the eyes on him. Or the fact none of the buildings were made of snow. And that there should be _way_ more eyes on him right now. "Okay so maybe you're not a master but-

"Why is he free!?"

Sokka jabbed an accusing finger in his direction. "You should be tied up with your little wooden minions!"

"Gran Gran says he's staying." Katara beamed. "So ha!"

Sokka made a disbelieving noise, "Did she _not_ _see_ the creepy dolls?"

Katara raised and eyebrow while Zuko simply gave a huff of indifference.

"Says the guy in makeup."

"It's warrior paint!"

This was the moment a giant warship appeared through the fog.

* * *

Zhao watched the strange array of huts come into view through his spyglass. The wind spirits nipping at his skin in a vain attempt at slowing him down. They were always too weak to save anyone, let alone their own people.

Soon, they along with the ice savages would be nothing but kindling in the great blaze of the Fire Nation's glory. _Zhao's_ glory.

"Sir, we're close enough to engage." Lieutenant Chang Li announced.

"Keep the engines on."

Zhao raised his hand when his second started to put up a fuss. Lips quirking as his eyes locked onto his prize.

"We're going to ram that pitiful excuse for a Watch Tower so hard their _ancestors_ will feel it."

* * *

**My semester officially ends on the 4th and so I'm obviously really excited/happy! So far I have an A in Human Development so hopefully, I'll get something similar Nutrition.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D it's, like, over 2.5K words long and I imagine the next one is gonna be a similar length**

**I really liked writing Gran Gran's scenes; she has badass energy and it's sad she's not used in a lot of fics. Makes me wanna write a pirate au lmao**

**lemme know what you think, like, and share with friends!**


	3. Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Southern Water Tribe is attacked

There was a Fire Nation warship approaching their village.

There was a Fire Nation warship _ramming their Watch Tower._

The few members of the Southern Water Tribe that was in the bean-paste zone let out startled cries as they scrambled back, some slipping in the gush of water that suddenly fell from the sky.

The gush of water, Sokka belatedly realized through a startled gasp, had been his Watch Tower.

Face heating through the chill Sokka rang out his shirt, glaring daggers at the one responsible

 _"Of course_ I get wet," Sokka grumbled. "What else can I expect from hanging out with people like you?"

The Foreign Magic Water User rolled his eyes with a scoff. Drawing the water out of their clothes as he snarked, "Would you have _preferred_ to be crushed?"

Sokka resisted the urge to strangle him. He could do that later- he had to think _big picture_ \- instead using his brain to ask, "And you couldn't have just- Just threw it away? Preferably _back at the_ _ashmakers_ _!?"_

"I think you underestimate how hard lifting something like that is."

"You _made_ it!"

"That's-"

"Guys. Do we not have bigger priorities right now?" Katara cut in, fixing the two idiots with a glare as she gestured pointedly at the warship.

Said warship was slightly dented from the collision. An awful keening sound reverberating across the tundra as the hull started trying to detach .

"Right. Katara you go make sure everyone gets to the main Igloo alright. Puppet-boy-"

"-That is _not_ my name-"

"-Don't care. You're with me." Sokka wasted no time in grabbing Green Coat by his sleeve. "Come on."

* * *

Aang sighed. If he hadn't insisted on messing with that broken-down warship he would still be able to play with Katara.

"I _really_ messed up..."

Appa moaned in agreement.

Glancing over at the ocean, Aang's heart just about jumped into his throat at the site of a giant Fire Nation ship hurtling towards the village.

* * *

"Think you can use those offensively?"

Zuko paused in his building of the snow-hill-barricades Sokka was having him make. Turning to give the Deputy-Chief a raised eyebrow.

"The snow? I mean I _guess_ I could-"

"No, no!" Sokka poked his bag with the furthest extremity he could (his toe) as he explained he meant Zuko's puppets.

Or as Sokka so lovingly referred to them as, "Demon-toy-things."

Brows forwarding, Zuko straightened up.

"What do you have in mind?"

Smirking, Sokka turned his blue eyes towards the twisted metal of the ship. Ropes were currently being thrown over the side.

What else were they expecting to happen after bashing into a pillar of solid ice?

"We're going to make them regret ever coming here." The stand-in Chief replied, crouching low to whisper his plan in Zuko's ear.

* * *

Zhao was not a man who took criticism, so when his previous Lieutenant Chang Li started muttering mutinous things about how he "Shouldn't have slammed their ship into the Ice-dick" he promptly blamed the whole thing on her and demoted her. As all good Captain's would.

If she knew what was good for her, she'd keep her mouth shut from now on.

But it still didn't change the fact that they had to scale down the warship. As impressive as it was, the size made this rather inconvenient.

This put everyone in a less than favorable position when the sun was blocked out and the ship shook with the force of an eruption.

Losing his grip on the rope, Zhao was thrown to the snow below.

Opening his eyes to the chaos above, the first thing his mind registered was the explosion of ice covering the side of the hull.

The second was the Agni damned _dragon._

* * *

Sokka zipped in and out of the cover he'd had the Demon Marionettists make. Sneaking behind the panicked soldiers and taking sweet sweet advantage of the ice-covered puppet to slash at their kneecaps and throats.

Later, Sokka might wonder how Zuko had known the enemy would lose their shit over this specific puppet, but right now he was more focused on staying alive. Keeping breath in his lungs and not throwing up at just how red the snow was or the fact the firebenders _bled_.

As if they were really human under that skull-like armour.

* * *

The winged-demon shot another jet of icy fire down on the slower soldiers, sunlight glittering off of its scales and nearly blinding ex Lieutenant Chang Li.

The beast was as silent as a whisper and smarter than any creature she had ever seen before. Staying directly overhead so the sun would make it impossible to look at it.

Chang Li was starting to suspect the dragon was fireproof, as not a trace of burning flesh tainted the air despite the hits it's sheening skin had taken.

The Fire Lord might reward her Captain for taking down a dragon and the last Southern waterbender in a single day, but the rest of the crew would be lucky to even be acknowledged in this task. Especially not Chang Li.

After the dressing down and likes her commanding officer had snarled at her, the Former Lieutenant knew she would be lucky if she wasn't demoted to the _Wani_ after this.

She raised her pike anyways.

"For the Fire Lord!"

* * *

The Dragon was stabbed

* * *

The Dragon was _not_ as you would have it, a real dragon.

* * *

Zuko cursed his Agni-damned luck as Zhao started taking his embarrassment out on the Tribe. Setting the tents on fire and melting the snow, the only building that was somewhat taking the abuse being the old ice hut in the back.

The only building that really mattered.

Freezing another soldier solid Zuko rolled out of the way of another, more personal fireball. It seemed like for every five men Zuko took down ten would come back. Were they going back for reinforcements? Zuko was only one bender, so that couldn't be it.

Right?

Glaring into the eyes of one of his father's most committed yes-men, Zuko sent a whip of water at his stupid head.

Judging by the gleam in Zhao's eyes, he recognized him too.

"Well well..." He started, slowly striding towards Zuko as his soldiers surrounded him.

Savoring it.

"If it isn't the little lost-"

* * *

Aang rode down on the first penguin-otter he found. Driving it in the Southern Water Tribe (which was a little more on fire than he remembered) and into the soldiers.

Coming to a stop in front of the pale Earth Kingdom boy (when had he gotten here? Why hadn't Katara introduced him? Had they always not trusted him-) Aang turned to face Important-looking Soldier.

He looked _mad._

"I bet you think you're _clever."_ Angry Sideburns growled, snorting steam. "Trying to make me look like a fool in front of my men?"

"You don't need our help with that." A familiar voice called. Sokka rushing over and brandishing his boomerang as he shouted, "I'll say this only once, get your Spirit-damned hides out of our village!"

Angry Sideburns became a lot less angry as he started laughing, very loudly at the Water Tribe boy.

Wiping a fake tear from his eye, Angry Sideburns sobered as he said, "Not until we get what we came for."

Aang felt a ping of guilt in his gut as the man motioned for the other soldiers to advance. He really _was_ the reason they attacked the village.

He had to make it right.

Swinging snow in their faces with his staff, Aang sent the soldiers on their backs with a gust of wind.

Slamming the ground with his staff, Aang met Angry Sideburns eyes. "Looking for me?"

"An Airbender..?" Eyebrows forwarding, several emotions ran across Angry Sideburns face. "Wait.."

Cackling, The Officer stared at Aang incredulously, a cruel shark-wolf grin spreading over his face.

"Don't tell me... That _you're_ the Avatar?"

"No way..." The Earth Kingdom boy whispered, perfectly complimenting the look of disbelief on Sokka's face.

He could apologise later.

Right now he had to get the Fire Nation to leave.

"So this is the great savior of the thug infested lower Nation's, then?" Angry Sideburns sneered, looking Aang up and down. "A snot-nosed brat barely off his mother's tit. Do you really think you have a chance against our great nation? Against the _Fire Lord?"_

Giving another cruel laugh, Angry Sideburns declared, "You can't even save one destitute hobble!"

Aang glanced back towards the village, or what was left of it.

The soldiers were still grabbing the Tribesmen who weren't fast enough, everyone not being dragged back to the ship working on putting out fires and fighting back.

In the end, Aang thought the decision easy. He had no real choice.

Turning back to the other man, Aang ignored the way fear squeezed his heart. "Do you promise to spare the village if I go with you?"

Before the Officer could even respond icy cold blades were pressed against Aang's throat.

"Not one more move or he dies."

* * *

Zhao clamped his mouth shut. Teeth clicking as he took in the man- no the _boy_ holding his new prize hostage.

Prince Zuko was still just a child, after all.

Forcing a calm facade, Zhao gave the brat a glare worth his rank. "If this is your attempt at earning your Tribe mercy you're-"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Prince Zuko shouted, visibly pressing his blades closer to the Avatar's throat. "We both know you need to capture the Avatar _alive_."

Zhao heart pounded in his chest. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" The Prince asked in mock-innocence. "Tell me, Zhao. Do you really think you can keep your whole ship silent until you can find the next one? With the fear of someone else snitching and damning the rest hanging over their heads?"

The surrounding soldiers shared conspicuous looks, obviously thinking the same thing.

Smirking, the Prince drawled, "I do believe _Daddy_ will be mighty displeased to learn you let his greatest enemy get away to only Agni knows where."

It felt like an eternity passed before Zhao finally forced himself to signal his soldiers to stand down.

"I take it you want us gone?" The words may as well have been glass.

Prince Zuko nodded.

"Just as Chief Sokka said. Get back on your gaudy ship and fuck off." Giving the Avatar a meaningful yank, the Prince leaned forwards. "I'll be escorting the Avatar away from here and you'll follow us. Make a move to turn around and attack this village and your prize is _gone."_

Zhao hated how little of a choice he had but to agree.

* * *

Watching the ship to pull back into the bay, Zuko let his blades melt and loosened his grip on his temporary-hostage.

When the Avatar _(child)_ immediately tried to bolt Zuko gave a put upon sigh before pulling him back. "Don't move, air-head!"

"But- But they're retreating."

"I don't want to give them an opening." Zuko shook his head. "Come on, we need to.."

Zuko trailed off as a low rumble sounded from behind. Turning to look over his shoulder he saw a giant wooly... Cow? Something very wooly-and-cow-like lumbering up.

"That's Appa," The Avatar cheerfully informed. "He can get us out of here."

Zuko nodded, assuming the Avatar meant the thing could swim. Which, in retrospect, was wishful thinking on his part.

Zuko nudged the Spirit-in-human-skin along, shouldering his bag as they went. The wooly-cow growled at the sight of him, and Zuko immediately prayed to all three of his patron spirits that this thing wasn't part arctic wolf.

"Appa it's _fine,"_ The Avatar assured, sounding way too calm for someone who had recently been at sword-point. "I'm fine, buddy. Just calm down."

Zuko turned to check on the leering warship while the Avatar smooth-talked his pet, only to see Katara running up to them, her brother hot on her heels.

"Katara-"

Whirling on her heels, Katara fixed Sokka with a look. "Can it, Sokka! Zuko still has to teach me waterbending-"

_"-Katara-"_

"-And, if Aang really is the Avatar, he's going to need our help. Zuko can't just.. Just _do this_ every time they get in a tight spot. It won't work forever."

"I know, that's why I'm coming with you." Sokka sighed. "I promised Dad I would protect you and I intend to keep that promise."

Indignation being replaced with joy, Katara immediately hugged her brother.

"This is sweet and all," Zuko called. "But we need to put some distance between us and Zhao like, yesterday."

Immediately pulling away the two siblings joined them in scrambling up the wooly-cow. The warship still waiting in the distance.

Sokka took the liberty of taking the reins. Fiddling with them as he asked, "How did you get this thing to move again? Yoo-hoo? Yee-ha? Huff huff?"

"Yip yip." The Avatar replied and suddenly they were all airborne.

Zuko screamed as Sokka and Katara let out cheery whoops of joy, feeling like his heart was trying to crawl out of his rib cage as the tundra was suddenly way too far away and only getting farther-

"Aw, is Doll-fetish scared of heights?"

"Fuck you." Zuko gasped, clinging to the Avatar for less homicidal reasons.

Sokka just grinned, leaning back suicidally as he steered whatever Tui and La damned thing this was away from the Village.

Zhao more specifically. Who, just as they agreed, started following them.

"It's okay," The Child Avatar assured. "It's completely normal to get scared the first time."

"I'm not scared."

"That's why you're hugging onto Aang, right? An action fitting only the bravest of men, truly."

"Sokka," Katara chastised as Zuko scrambled back, red-faced.

White-knuckling the lip of the saddle, Zuko finally took a moment to breathe.

He had heard the stories of the black snow since he was a young child. Smoke from their cold metal ships tainting the snow every time the Fire Nation raided his mother's homeland. The sight becoming a signal of death for their people.

Now more than ever did Zuko understand the sentiment. He still could hardly believe they won.

That he wasn't in the brig of that ship. Strung up and chained without a drop of water in sight.

"Hey, are you okay? You don't look so good." The Avatar fretted, placing a hand on Zuko's forehead. As if he hadn't just threatened to kill him. "You're really pale.."

"I-" Zuko stopped short, clamping his mouth shut.

Shaking the Avatar off, Zuko gave a half-hearted nod. "Just chi exhaustion. You probably wouldn't understand, being part-god and all."

"What-?!" The Avatar yelped, jumping back. "I'm.. I'm not... I'm just a normal kid."

Zuko gave him a look.

"About that," Katara began, looking to the "Normal kid". "What you said..."

"About being the Avatar?"

"Yeah." Katara frowned. "Why did you lie to us?"

Pulling his knees up, the Avatar sighed.

"Because I never wanted to be."

* * *

**Whoop 'nother chapter done!**

**Hey y'all hope you'll all doing okay and staying safe (as some less than pleasant things are happening irl) and if not, I hope that this at least made life a little more bearable**

**Hope you all enjoyed this :D please let me know what you think, like, and share with friends!**

**Now that our four heroes have escaped from Zhao, what will the journey have in store for them?**

**Next stop: The Southern Air Temple!**


	4. Air Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang arrives at the Southern Air Temple

"Well, you are." Zuko said after several moments of silence. "So you're going to have to get over that."

Katara gave him a look, _"Zuko."_

"Hey, he isn't wrong."

The Avatar grimaced, and Katara scowled increased just the right amount to make the other two boys look sheepish.

"He doesn't have to say it like that. But Aang," Katara's face softened as she turned back to the the spirit in human skin. "The world has been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Well, you have to master earth, fire, and water, right?"

"That's what the monks told me."

"Well, Zuko here is a waterbender; he can teach us both."

Zuko made a face as the Avatar cheered, "We can learn together!"

"Yeah, about that…" Zuko began. "I can't."

Three pairs of eyes turned to him, and the newest addition felt rather small.

"What do you mean you can't?"

Pulling at the green felt of his coat, Zuko forced, "I can't be your teacher." through his teeth."

Katara's blue eyes widened in alarm, panic bubbling as the words hung in the air for what felt like forever. Not knowing what to say.

"What, is teaching _the Avatar_ not good enough for you?"

Luckily her brother never shut up.

"What? No! They _are_ it's just- It's _me_ , I'm.." Sighing, the foreign boy folded his hands in his lap. "I'm the one who isn't good enough."

Katara exchanged a look with the others as Zuko did his level best to disappear behind his wild black hair.

"Hey, it's okay," Aang finally said, deciding for the 'hug it all better' approach as he scooted over. "Just think of me as a humble monk requesting your services."

"But my services are _garbage!"_ Zuko cried. "I'm not a master and I don't even know how to teach anybody! Or- or.."

Losing steam, the other waterbender got paler, if that were possible.

"We're not going to be mad or anything," Katara promised, hoping to ease his nerves. Or at least get Zuko to look at them. "Just talk to us."

"Worst we can do is throw you back in the ocean."

Katara sent Sokka a look, but his _rude comment_ surprisingly earned a snort from the other boy.

"I'm sorry, it's just.. My mother never finished training me. I'm not even that good."

Katara's jaw dropped, "I saw you bending out there, you were amazing!"

Zuko pulled his knees up. But willingly met her eyes, so progress.

"My _mother_ is amazing. She taught me everything I know, she still had a lot to teach me.."

Katara's hand found its way to her necklace, and Aang somehow managed to wiggle Zuko under his arm. Looking over the sad little trio, Sokka sighed. Knowing it was up to him to be the adult, as usual.

"Well, you're better than nothing. These two could get all the help they can get."

"But..." Zuko began, and Sokka waved him off.

"We'll just have to find someone else, but while we're doing that it's better that these two learn _some_ waterbending than _none,_ right?"

Blinking, Zuko gave a nod.

"I.. I suppose I could get you started."

"You can train us on the way to the North Pole!" Aang exclaimed, "I bet there are loads of waterbenders up there."

Katara smiled at him, "We'll all be able to finish our training."

Zuko face softened, and he gave a nod.

"Okay, I'll be your teacher."

* * *

Zuko was briefly confused to find he was laying on thick leather rather than ice. Sitting up with a jolt, the Prince-in-hiding looked around to see he was on a saddle of some sort, a blue parka thrown over him.

That's when he remembered.

"Oh, you're up." Katara smiled, handing him some dried meat. "Here's some seal jerky."

Watching him sleepily start knawing on it with little question, Katara awkwardly tucked her hair loop behind her ear.

"I know it's not much, but Sokka and I could only grab so much before we left.."

"My Mama told me about this," Zuko mumbled, rubbing at his eye. "There weren't any seals where I grew up, but she said it was a lot like cow-fish."

"Where did you grow up?" Katara asked, which was when a scream sounded.

Both waterbenders whipped around to see Sokka scramble (once again) away from Zuko's bag, looking like he'd seen his maker in it. Katara gave her brother a look.

"What are you yelling about?"

Sokka gestured to the bag as if to say, "go ahead, _look"_

So they did.

Zuko snorted. "Are you really scared of this guy? He's like, half-dead."

Shoving the last bit of his breakfast in his mouth scooping his little travelling partner out, who continued to sleep like the dead.

"Fully-creepy more like." Sokka grumbled, eyes narrowing as he took in the red-and-gold bird. "What even is that?"

"A type of crab-piper." Zuko scratched under the birds chin, earning sleepy cooing noises. "I found him in the woods."

"Oh cool, Kuzon and I used to chase the fiddler ones around the beaches." Avatar Aang declared, floating over as he started to join Zuko in the petting. "This is a ghost crab, right?"

Zuko gave a helpless shrug, as he had no idea. Instead of asking the Avatar sensible things, like how the fuck he had been in the Fire Nation, Zuko decided to introduce him.

"I'm calling him Djon-Djon for now."

Katara cocked her head, an amused smile on her face. "Djon-Djon?"

"It's a work in progress," Zuko grumbled, gently putting the feathery menace back in the insulated leather sack that once was a water skin. Perfect for hibernation. "I'd like to see you come up with something better."

"How about Crab Cakes?"

"Because that's so original," He snarked, earning a flick to the ear.

"At least it's _cute."_

Rolling his eyes, Zuko turned back to the Avatar. "So, are we almost there?"

"We should reach the Temple in about a day!" Aang grin faded a bit. "You're going to love it-"

"Aang," Katara began. "I know you're excited, but it's been a hundred years since you've been home..."

"That's why I'm so excited," Aang insisted. "I can't wait to see everyone again."

"A lot can change in that time," Sokka said. "Like, a lot of things."

"I know, that's why I need to see it for myself."

Katara flashed her brother a nervous look, who shrugged in return.

So it looks like Zuko wasn't the only one made horrifically uncomfortable to learn of the Avatar's travel plans. Wonderful.

* * *

Hours passed, Sokka and Zuko starting to bicker in the back of the saddle over who did or did not eat the seal jerky when the Mountain range which shielded the Temple came into view. Aang found it easy to ignore them when Katara decided to climb up to sit with him. Smiling as he pointed out that they had reached the Patola Mountains.

"Aang, before we get there, I want to talk about the airbenders."

The smile became more forced.

"What about them?"

"Well.." Katara visibly hesitated. "I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless."

Aang wasn't stupid, he knew where she was going with this.

"They killed my mother."

He didn't want to hear it.

"They could have done the same to your people."

"Just because no one has _seen_ an Airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all." Aang replied crisply. "They probably escaped."

"I know it's hard to accept.."

"So how did you meet Zuko?" Aang deliberately changed the subject. "He wasn't there before, was he? You said you were the only waterbender, after all."

"Oh!" Katara blushed. "He kinda crashed into the wall while we were checking out the ship.. Apparently his mother escaped the Fire Nation and settled down in the Earth Kingdom."

"Oh," Aang felt a knot untie in his chest. "So you don't know him, then?"

"He's Tribe," Was Katara's non-answer.

Aang looked back to see Zuko and Sokka were inelegantly wrestling in the back.

"He's a bit intense."

Katara grimaced.

"He was just desperate. You're the Avatar; Zuko was never going to hurt you."

"I know." Aang looked down into the fog below. "Do you think that fire nation guy has gotten lost in there yet?"

Katara mimicked his position, and gave a shrug. Though her eyes were narrowed, much like when one of the elders had caught him napping.

"Hopefully they'll stay lost."

Aang opened his mouth, to point out that they would probably die if that happened, but that was when his home came into view, which was much more important than telling Katara firebenders and cold didn't mix long-term.

(A part of him worried she already knew)

"There it is! The Southern Air Temple."

Katara's beautiful blue eyes widened, reflecting the impressive temple as they approached. "It's amazing!"

Grinning down at Appa, Aang gave his friend a gentle pat to the head.

They were finally home.

* * *

Zuko trailed behind as they walked up the steps, taking in the foreign ruins with a respectful somber: No matter what Avatar Aang tried to tell himself, Zuko knew what his great grandfather had done here. The soot staining the marble was proof enough of it.

Up ahead, the Avatar was regaling the siblings about what the Temple had been like a hundred years ago, some things significantly different from what Zuko had been taught. Not that the Prince-in-Hiding was surprised.

His tutors had lied about his ancestors, too.

"-That's where we used to play air ball, and over there is where the flying bison would sleep, and over..."

Slowing down, Avatar Aang visibly deflated as he seemed to finally register the abandoned state of the place. Zuko felt nauseous, intrusive memories of another child learning the truth making itself known.

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs, now it's empty.."

"So," Already regretting opening his mouth, Zuko walked forwards. "How about that air game?"

* * *

Sokka laughed as Fuzzy-brain was knocked off the pole again. He laughed significantly less when he managed to _land on his feet._

Huffing, Zuko blew the hair out of his eyes as he started hopping back up his homemade ice-stair-case-thing that looked way too precarious for Sokka to even want to be near. Let alone climb on.

"How long until you think he gives?" Katara asked, trying not to laugh at the two foreigners.

Sokka watched Zuko wiggle his fingers at the ball before throwing it back, with significantly less speed than his opponent.

"Three throws tops."

"Your on."

Four more trips to the earth later and Zuko was proving to be as stubborn as a glacier. Landing in a pile of snow, Katara frowned when he didn't immediately spring back up like a daisy.

"Uh, guys? I think I found something.."

That something turned out to be a Fire Nation helmet.

Exchanging a look with his sister, Sokka set his jaw. "We have to tell him."

Katara nodded, grimace in place as she looked back up at the child Avatar.

"Aang, there's something we need to show you!"

Aang himself flashed a smile and jumped down. Floating the last stretch, he settled the ball on his hip.

"What is it?"

Then Katara panicked.

Waterbending a load of snow not just on the helmet, but also on Sokka and Zuko's heads, she clasped her hands behind her back and lied through her teeth.

"Oh.. Just a new waterbending move Zuko taught me."

"That's cool. But enough practicing, there's a whole temple to see."

Watching Aang bound off, Sokka informed Katara of the obvious: They couldn't protect the Aang forever.

* * *

"I think this is Avatar Roku," Aang guessed. "The Avatar before me."

Currently, they were in a big creepy room full of creepy statues. Apparently, each one had been an Avatar.

Sokka looked the 'Roku' statue up and down, and scowled. "There isn't a name tag. How do you know that?"

Aang shrugged.

"Just do."

"You get weirder and weirder every second I'm around you."

"He's not wrong, it's definitely Roku; I recognize him from my history books."

Zuko wondered whether the statues had been carved, or if the Avatars themselves had erected them with Earth bending. Though, he didn't get a chance to ask when an ominous noise sounded from the entrance.

It was a lemur.

* * *

Sokka and Aang raced off after the lemur.

* * *

The lemur led Aang to the very worst place the lemur could have taken him, and the Avatar promptly lost his shit.

* * *

Zuko, Katara, and Sokka fought against the powerful gales. Looking up at the full power of the Avatar for the first time.

"He's going to blow us right off the mountain!" Sokka shouted through the wind, and Katara knew he was right.

"Let me talk to him."

"Are you crazy-"

"We don't have a choice!" Sokka cut Zuko off, turning to his sister. "Just do it!"

Sokka felt his heart climb into his throat as his sister fought against the winds to get closer to the angry spirit.

"Aang! I know you're upset, and I understand how difficult it is losing the people you love, I went through the same thing when I lost my mom!"

Inching closer, she anchored herself with a boulder.

"Monk Gyasto and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. We're your family now!"

Miraculously, the winds died down.

* * *

When Ex Lieutenant Chang Li woke up, she didn't know where she was.

"Ah, it's good to see you're coming to."

Looking off to the side, Ex Lieutenant Chang Li noted that she was in an infirmary; just not the one that was on the Mao. The man tending to her was not Doctor Misuki.

"Took a nasty knock to the knoggin," The stranger said, walking over. "Weren't sure if you would make it."

"Where am I? What happened?"

"Commander Zhao said you'd given ill-fit advice." The stranger said, and really, that's all he needed to. The poor conditions suddenly made sense.

Chang Li was on the Wani.


	5. Don't Touch a Hair on my Chinny Chin Chin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang run into an.. unexpected problem

The gaggle of kids lounged around the campfire, having made camp on one of the unpopulated islands near the Southern Air Temple. Talking over dinner.

"So you really don't eat meat?" Zuko asked, petting the little lemur Aang had managed to snag from the temple.

Katara bit back a laugh at the look of dumb-foundness that crossed their sifu's features as Aang nodded.

"The Monks believed all life was sacred, so to end one was one of the biggest crimes we could commit."

"Well, what about if something died of natural causes?"

Aang thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"Some monks were okay with it, but the elders largely taught that it was disrespectful to the dead."

Zuko nodded, obviously making some sense out of that. Katara reached over to pet Momo behind the ears.

"So where are we stopping next?"

"Oh, we're going to ride Elephant Koi at Kyoshi."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. Tucking Momo closer to his chest.

"That's kinda far, Aang." Sokka piped in, already getting seconds. "We should try to cover as much ground as possible."

"Well there is a lot of water, so Zuko can get us started on some real training!" Katara pointed out.

"Sorry. Can't."

The three looked over at the boy in green, Katara tilted her head.

"Why? What's wrong?"

Zuko hesitated, so Katara upped the guilt-trip eyes. The older boy lips thinking before he grumbling out, "I may or may not have killed their sacred eel."

"Oh, that makes sense." Aang turned back towards his dish before the words registered. "Wait _what?!"_

* * *

Ex Lieutenant Chang Li had a few broken ribs, and a bit of a concussion, but otherwise she was fine.

Physically.

Being demoted to the Wani was disgraceful, everyone knew it. Even it's Captain, young as she was.

Princess Azula was known for a lot of things, but being stupid was never one.

* * *

Zuko crossed his arms in a huff, cheeks pinking as his messy hair fell into his eyes.

"Well, if you must know it had tried to eat me, so I froze the water in it's throat. Then it drowned."

"Okay you're going to need to back up a few steps," Sokka said. "Like back to _why_ did it try to eat you?"

"Because I look appetizing?" Squinting, Zuko gave a vague 'what do you want me to say?' gesture. "It was a big ugly water snake. How should I know why it does what it does?"

"Zuko, you should be more respectful of nature."

"I'll be respectful of it when it doesn't try to make me it's lunch."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sokka sighed. "How close to Kyoshi were you?"

"Close enough that I had to dodge a few fans on my way out." Zuko lifts his hair up show a bruise on his neck. Ouch. "Not as fragile as you'd think."

"Sorry Aang, we'll just have to avoid the island." Katara informed, setting a hand on their Avatar's shoulder. "Maybe some other time."

"But- but the giant koi!"

Sokka shrugged, "Well unless you want them to kill Sir Tangles over here, you'll have to get your giant-animal-fix somewhere else."

"We can just brush his hair and put him in your extra parka," Aang waved off. "I'm sure they won't recognize him."

"Or they'll see the guy who killed their special magic eel and murder us all."

Sokka avoided looking the bald spirit in the eye after he said this. Puppy dog eyes were a curse that he refused to fall victim to.

"I know," Katara smiled, drawing Aang's attention back to the map. "Appa will still need to rest, so we can stop in the little town behind it."

"And I can give you guys your first lesson," Zuko added, feeling a bit guilty over depriving Aang of his fish-riding fun.

Chin couldn't be that bad, could it?

* * *

Spoiler alert: it was.

* * *

Soon, the cliff-side town of Chin came into view.

Landing, the giant bison let out a low rumble as the snow swirled around from his presence. The mid afternoon sun shining down.

Floating down with a bag, Aang started setting up the tent while Katara carried their cooking-stuff down. Zuko and Sokka presumably up in the saddle, still fighting about the pants.

Among other things, Aang knew, even before Zuko jumped down in time to see the tent collapse in on itself for the umpteenth-time.

Aang groaned.

"Need a hand?" Zuko asked, playing with the snow flurries as he walked over.

Nodding, Aang quirked his head as he asked, "You know how to set a tent?"

Zuko shrugged, picking up one of the poles.

"I know how to look like I know."

_What did that mean?_

Turns out, it meant Zuko was really good at butchering any and all attempts to pitch a tent, but with _purpose._

"So," Aang started as he tried and failed to keep the big-middle-pole steady. "Katara says that you were raised in the Earth Kingdom? What was that like?"

Stilling, the older boy seemed to consider his inquiry before giving a shrug.

"I grew up helping my mother run our inn," Zuko said, after a moment. "So during the day I would do my chores, during the night I would train."

"Why during the night?"

"Multiple reasons, one is that it's easier to waterbend at night." Zuko explained, pointing to the sky. "Agni weakens us, while Tui strengthens. They're the sun and the moon, my mother says back before the Fire Nation lost its mind, our people used to consider them sisters."

"That's nice, maybe after we end the war it can be like that again."

Zuko gave a shrug, focusing on the ropes he was tying.

"So what did you do for fun?"

"I don't have fun."

Aang laughed, "Sure you do, everyone has fun."

"Fun is for kids."

"You _are_ a kid."

Zuko gave a glare, "I am not!"

"How old are you? Sixteen?"

"Almost," the other boy grumbled. Standing back from the tent only for it to give a quiver, and fall again.

"You're both hopeless."

Looking up to see Sokka waltzing over, presumably done with unloading the bit of supplies they had, Aang puffed his cheeks out.

"Thanks Sokka, really needed you to tell me that."

Shrugging, Sokka said, "No problem, just doing my job."

"Yeah, well, at least I don't think my dick _should_ make me good at this," Zuko sassed back, earning a glare for his troubles.

"That's not why men are better at these things!"

"Oh? Then what does?"

Making a frustrated noise, Sokka gesticulated towards Zuko's general being as he struggled for words. Aang leaned back on his haunches, also curious what excuse the older boy would come up with.

"It- we just are," Sokka explained intelligently. "Now move over, let me show you how it's done."

The eel-killing waterbender rolled his eyes so hard he may have gotten a glimpse of his brain. "Oh please, enlighten us."

"I shall."

_"Good."_

_"GREAT!"_

angrily, Sokka got to work. Zuko and Aang watching as he finally got the tent to stand on it's own, with two very different levels of enthusiasm.

"See? You need to hammer it in better, and make sure it's all supported." Sokka explained as he straightened up.

"So like, an inch in?"

"Two would be better."

Aang watched as Zuko's face somehow got more unhappy-mad, and searched his mind for something that might cheer him up.

"Maybe we should go check out the town?" He suggested. Gears turning. "We can go see if they have any elephant koi nearby!"

"Oh! Shopping!" Sokka grinned, "I bet I can get a new sword or maybe another sharpener-"

"You sound like my Uncle."

"You have an Uncle?" Katara asked, walking up with the sleeping bags in hand. Zuko nodded.

"He.. He's fighting in the war, so I haven't seen him since I was little."

Katara's hand went to the necklace on her neck, nodding in presumed understanding.

"I hope he's okay... Our father is also fighting the Fire Nation."

Zuko's jaw worked as he shoved his hands back in his pocket, later Aang would realize why.

For now, he assumed the topic just upset his sifu, and swiftly turned it back to a happier subject: going into town.

Katara puffed her cheek out as tapped her chin, "We do need more supplies..."

"Well? What are we waiting for?"

"The Avatar should get a head start on his training," Zuko pointed out.

"What? Kill any more sacred animals have you?"

_"No."_

Sokka grinned, "Then let's go, I could use some new pants."

Zuko glared in response.

* * *

Ex Lieutenant Chang Li swallowed thickly as she knelt, setting down the plate of smoked fish to her new Captain as her stomach churned.

She could practically feel the Princess's azure eyes boring into her.

"There was news at the docks."

Chang Li could hear the Princess set her knife down. "Was there word on my brother?"

"No, but-"

"Than it better be important if you're bringing it to me and not Lieutenant Jee," The Princess snapped. Tone cold despite the heat of the already too-hot room.

"Princess Azula," The Dragon of the West gently scolded, as if he were talking to a child. "It could very well be important, have some patience."

"Fine. What is it?"

Taking a breath, Chang Li said, "The Avatar has been arrested in the town of Chin. While it's not a clear lead, I'm sure your brother is still with him."

"My- what? The Avatar?"

Jumping, Chang Li made the mistake up meeting the royals faces, though neither seemed to be in the state of mind to care about the breach of protocol.

The Princess's tan face was pale, and even the General seemed taken off-guard.

"Has.. Did Commander Zhao not inform you of what happened in the South?"

The Princess pushed away from the table as she stood, the plates clattering as she slammed her hands back down as the torches turned an unnatural blue.

"Tell me everything you know about Prince Zuko."

* * *

**Aaaaaaah**

**I'm so happy to have this part done :D am very hyped to have Azula show up!**

**Why is she looking for her brother? What is going on in Chin? Who will reach the gaang first? Stay tuned to find out and let me know what you think!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Justification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko tries and fails to convince Aang this is a bad idea. Katara makes a friend

Zuko felt like he had a migraine.

"You can't be serious."

The Avatar, who was in the most ridiculous pair of wooden handcuffs Zuko had ever seen, gave the most serious nod he could in said ridiculous cuffs.

"You have to understand, I can't let these people think I killed someone!"

"Who cares if a bunch of people don't like you? There's an entire nation of people who hate you," Sokka said, unhelpfully. "Let's just bust you out of here and ride off into the sunset on your magical snot monster."

"I can't."

"Sure you can." Reaching out, Zuko pulled a ball of water out of the air. Letting it gently lap at his fingers. "These bars aren't that thick, I can have them down in ten minutes. Tops."

"Since when could you do that?" Sokka asked, voice raising an octave as he turned to Katara. _"Did you know he could do that?"_

Katara shook her head as Aang sighed.

"Zuko, that's not what I mean. I can't carry on saving the world knowing people think I'm a murderer."

"I understand," Katara said, giving Aang a sympathetic shrug. "Really, I do, but how would we even prove your innocence? Kyoshi's been dead for over three hundred years."

"Oh, sorry, I guess I just thought one of you might be good at this." Aang gave a dramatic sigh. "My mistake."

"Well..." Sokka began, and Zuko smacked his forehead.

Fuck.

* * *

"If the Temple and statue is made from the same stone... Then there's no way Kyoshi could have stepped inside!" Sokka explained. As if the two waterbenders hadn't already figured it out.

Zuko rolled his eyes as Sokka pulled out a ridiculous dragon pipe.

"Doesn't really prove anything though, just means their historian might have been a day drinker."

"It does, too!"

"It proves some facts are.. Less than accurate," Katara agreed. "But it isn't enough to prove Aang's innocence."

Sokka scowled, before sighing. "You're right, we'll have to go to Kyoshi if we want anything concrete."

"Right," Turning to go down the hill, Zuko said, "I'll start loading Appa."

"Nu-uh, you're staying right here."

Zuko puffed his cheeks out, turning back to Sokka as if he didn't already know well why he was being grounded.

"And why is that?"

Katara gave him what she hoped was a charming, if not sympathetic smile.

"Well... You _did_ kill a sacred animal that guarded their island-"

"-it was self defense-!"

"-Aka _doing it's Job_." Sokka butted in, which earned a huff from Mr Eel Killer.

"Yes, it was," Katara agreed. "But Zuko would have died if he didn't, so it's not really his fault."

_"Thank you."_

"But," Katara continued, putting her index fingers together. "You still _really_ upset those people... And we need their help."

"So what? You want me to stand around with my thumb up my nose until you get back?"

"Pretty much," Sokka said, earning a swat from Katara. Wincing, he glared at her. "What?"

"Zuko will be doing something _very_ important," Katara emphasized, turning back to Zuko. Meeting his eyes. "Protecting Aang."

"He's the Avatar."

"Yes, and these people hate him for it."

Frowning, Zuko's jaw worked as he paced a bit, thinking of a rebuttal. An argument to be had.

In the end, he sighed. Zuko knew they were right.

* * *

Kyoshi reacted about as well as can be expected when two foreign teenagers landed a giant flying cow in their town square.

Now, kneeling with her hands behind her back, Katara almost regretted not bringing Zuko along. He'd be able to have gotten them out of this by force if nothing else. Having said that, Katara also knew the situation would be much worse if anyone recognized her sifu.

"You just got the drop on us, but that's it." Sokka waved off, the Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors visibly getting irate. "If I was untied I could take you all on."

Katara almost wished the Unagi were still alive to swallow her whole.

Eye twitching, the warrior girl grabbed Sokka by the front of his Tunic.

"Give me one reason not to throw you to the waves!"

"We told you! The Avatar sent us. Just ignore my brother; he's an idiot."

"Do you have any evidence of these claims?" The Mayor asked, and Katara felt her heart skip a beat.

"What? Seen many magic flying bison around here?" Sokka snarked.

Steeling her features, the Kyoshi Warrior dropped Sokka.

"I find it hard to believe the Avatar would trust... _You_ , of all people, to deliver any message to us."

"He was in a rush," Sokka grumbled. "Look lady, the Town of Chin arrested him because they think Kyoshi killed their leader."

"That's crazy talk, Kyoshi would never do such a thing!" The Mayor remarked, and Sokka leaned around the warrior, flashing the man a grin.

"Exactly. Worst case scenario we're lying and then you never see us again, but if we're not..."

"You'll be responsible for the Avatar's death," Katara finished, fixing the girl in warrior paint with a glare.

The Warrior huffed, crossed her arms.

"...Fine, you have one day. Make it count."

Sighing a breath of relief, Katara bowed her head.

"We'll make sure of it."

Sokka watched the warrior go as their binds were cut, setting his jaw. The kick to his macho ego still stinging much like the bruises she had given him.

There was no way _a girl_ had really beaten him... Was there?

* * *

Aang looked up when Zuko entered the prisons.

Alone.

Frowning he scooted back over to the bars. "Where's Sokka and Katara?"

"Kyoshi." Shoving his hands in his pockets, Zuko shrugged his hair out of his eye. "They needed more evidence."

"Oh."

His waterbending sifu looked over at him, before leaning against the wall.

"Why is this so important to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying, if- if you manage to kill Fire Lord Ozai, and the Fire Nation starts hating the Avatar more because of it, _I_ wouldn't exactly have sympathy for them."

"That's- that's not the same thing!"

"Isn't it? Do you even know who Chin was?"

"...Not really," Aang admitted. "But it doesn't matter. Killing people is wrong."

"I've killed people."

The air seemed to still. The room getting colder.

"You may have saw me do it," Zuko went on, like he hadn't just frozen Aang's blood. "Back when Zhao attacked the South Pole. You realize why he was there, right?"

"To capture me.."

"No. He came for me, and Katara, and possibly every other person left after he finally had us."

Aang brows forward, closing his eyes as his stomach turned.

"That's why I killed those soldiers." Sliding down the wall, Zuko let his leg stretch out. "It's why you will have to kill Ozai. Regardless of how anyone else feels-"

"I can't!" Aang cut off, opening his grey eyes to meet Zuko's. "The monks taught me all life was precious, that means even the Fire Lord's. That killing is the worst thing you can do. So can't, I can just.. just..."

Trailing off as he lost steam, Aang panted as he stared into sympathetic eyes. Realizing for the first time they _weren't_ earth kingdom brown caught in the sun.

In the darkness of the prison, Aang realized Zuko's eyes were gold.

"Trust me," His _waterbending sifu_ said. "There are worst things you can do to someone then end their life."

* * *

Katara passed her brother, who looked quite red in the face, with a tad bit of confusion before she heard the giggling.

Ah.

Sokka had been Sokka, then.

Knocking, Katara braced herself as the Leader of the Warriors turned her eyes on her.

They were blue.

Raising her heavily painted eyebrow, The Warrior crossed her arms. "Can I help you?"

Katara felt her face heat up, feeling nervous for a reason she didn't really understand as her useless hands found something to do in the form of twisting her braid.

Why did she come here? She'd had a reason just a second ago... Oh right, Aang. Aang was a reason. He was _the_ reason.

"Avatar," Katara blurted out, intelligently. Feeling her cheeks burn a bit more. "The Avatar sent us."

"Uh huh."

Taking a breath, Katara dropped her braid as she put full effort into steadying her own rapid heart beat.

"We need evidence to prove his innocence, is there any place that might have that?"

Some of the other warriors giggled, one elbowing their leader in the side.

"Sounds like she's wanting to see the Shrine. Why don't you escort her, Suki?"

 _Suki_ flashed the other girl a glare.

"She's an outsider, we can't trust her to be near Kyoshi's relics."

The other warrior gave an uncaring shrug. "Well, the 'Avatar' needs it, so you'll just have to watch her. Right?"

Setting her jaw, Suki snapped her fans closed and shoved them in her belt with quick succession.

 _"Fine_. Follow me, don't be slow."

Katara was given little more warning before the warrior was shoving past her and towards the words.

Scowling, Katara felt less of that weird-nervousness and much more annoyed. Reluctantly, Katara followed.

"So," Katara began. "The Shrine will prove Kyoshi didn't kill Chin?"

"Perhaps," Suki said, uncaringly. "Why do you even care? Doesn't the 'Avatar' have more important things to do then suck up to those lumps?"

"Yes, but he cares about people." Huffing, Katara crossed her arms as she worked to match the Warrior's pace. "Would you be content if you knew someone thought you killed someone?"

"And how do you know I haven't?" Suki asked, glancing sideways at Katara. "I'm a warrior after all."

Throat feeling dry under those sky-blue eyes, Katara averted her eyes.

"That's not the same. Killing an enemy is different than an innocent."

"Chin was far from innocent," Suki said, eyes on the trail once more. "He was a tyrant. Aiming to conquer the whole Earth Kingdom for power."

"So he was like the Fire Lord?"

"Not quite. The Fire Lord aims to conquer more than his own lands, to erase everyone who is different."

Suki looked at Katara, stopping for a moment. Snow flurries starting to make a powdery crown on both their heads.

"You're from the South Pole, if half of what Kyoshi Island has heard is true then you know exactly what I'm talking about."

Hand going to her throat, Katara felt the familiar wound in her heart throb.

"They killed my mother."

Suki nodded. Something in her hard expression softening, "My mother also... isn't with us. Was your's a warrior?"

Katara shook her head. Feeling the sting of heat behind her eyes. "She... She lied, to protect me. They had come for waterbenders."

Suki set a hand on her shoulder, far gentler than what Katara would have expected a few minutes ago.

"I'm sorry."

Nodding, Katara took a deep breath before turning back ahead.

"We should head to the Shrine, I'd hate to keep Aang waiting in jail any longer."

Suki nodded, and they once again we're walking through the snow and trees. Silent, until Suki spoke up.

"For what it's worth, I hope you are telling the truth."

"You do?" Katara felt a grin crawl on her face. "Because before you sounded mad about the very idea of us being legit."

"Your brother was the source of my anger," Suki corrected. "The Avatar being real would be a miracle. I almost dare not to hope you're honest."

"Yet you have."

"I have," Suki agreed, and Katara blushed as she noticed the smile on the other girl's face.

It was a nice smile.

* * *

"Are you really from the Earth Kingdom?" Aang asked after a moment, seeing panic flicker on Zuko's face.

"No." Looking away, Zuko's knuckles went white as he grimaced. "If I'm honest I've never been until just recently."

"Hey, it's okay." Aang slipped out of the stupid-wooden cuffs. Leaning on them as he tried and failed to meet _gold_ eyes. "I don't care."

"How can you not? My people massacred yours!"

"You didn't," Aang said. "It's not your fault."

Turning back to him, Zuko gave him a disbelieving look.

"How can you say that?"

Aang shrugged, closing his eyes as he thought for a moment.

"You know, the Fire Nation wasn't always bad. One of my best friends was a firebender."

Rolling his eyes, Zuko gave a mirthless laugh. "Oh yeah, I'm sure he was _real chummy_ with you when he found out you were the Avatar."

"A hundred years ago, even the Fire Nation felt it was an honor," Aang explained, earning a confused look. Understandable. "So Kuzon didn't care. He.. He was just my friend. We played on the beach near his home when I visited, chased fiddler-crabs, and even found a dragon's egg once."

Seeing Zuko was still looking at him like he'd just lost his arrow, Aang gave a nod.

"Yeah I know. It must have been a lot different back then, but believe me it's-"

"You're a hundred years old?" Zuko asked, hoarsely. "But- You look and act like you're ten!"

"Twelve! I am twelve!" Aang indignantly corrected. "Or. I _was_ twelve..."

Pausing his own existential crisis, Aang looked back up to see Zuko wasn't any less confused. Then it clicked.

"No one told you about the ice berg, huh?"

"What ice berg?"

"Come here," Aang gestured to the floor closer to the bars. "I have a story to tell. Consider it an origin story."

Giving Aang a suspicious look, Zuko scooted over.

"Okay, so this is going to sound crazy," Aang warned, like a decent friend. "But I am a hundred and twelve years old."

"Is that an Avatar thing?"

"No."

"Airbender?" Zuko clarified, earning another shake of the head.

"I..." Trailing off as memories Aang was definitely suppressing tried to wiggle unhelpfully to the surface. Aang shook his head. "I had been traveling to the South Pole on Appa when an awful storm hit; next thing I knew I was waking up in an iceberg."

Zuko gave him an incredulous look. "An _ice Berg?"_

"Yep, right at the bottom of the ocean."

"For a hundred years?"

Aang nodded, Zuko giving a not-alright laugh.

"An ice Berg."

"We.. We went over that, sifu."

"For over a hundred years, the Fire Nation hunted you, and you were-" Another I'm-not-okay laugh caused Zuko to cut himself off for a moment. "-You were just taking a glorified nap!"

Aang nodded, pulling his knees up. Closing his eyes, he sighed.

"I know, it's all my fault."

Sobering, if you could call it that, Zuko face scrunched up before sighing.

"No, it's not. It's just.. It would actually be hilarious if it wasn't so fucking sad, you know?"

"You thought it was funny before."

"Mental illness runs in the family," Zuko gave a wry grin. "If I do it for more than a minute, slap me."

Laughing, Aang easily slid his hand through the bar for Zuko to shake.

"Deal."

* * *

It wasn't long after that that they arrived at the Shrine, Katara found the evidence they had come for, and they all-to-soon had to head back towards the village.

Sokka felt something niggling in his gut as his sister loaded up Appa, chatting happily with Suki as if they had always been gal-pals.

Tapping the Warrior on the shoulder, Sokka gave a sheepish grin as she turned around. Fixing him with a not-impressed look.

"Yes? Do you want to give me another lesson?" She asked in a fakely-sweet voice, earning a giggle from Katara.

"No I uh..." Swallowing his pride, Sokka kneeled down. "I wanted to apologise to you. The way I behaved earlier was unacceptable; I was a real jerk."

"Yes, you were."

Sokka nodded, not privy to the wide-eyed looks Katara was giving him. "I just needed to say that before we left. In case I didn't get another chance."

Rolling her eyes, Suki offered him her hand.

"Get up off the dirt, it's hardly becoming of a warrior to grovel."

Blushing, Sokka let her pull him up (and how was she so strong? If only he could ask for her exercise routine...) as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not really much of one compared to you..."

"I had years of training," Suki shrugged, giving him a small smile. "Maybe after you're done helping the Avatar I can show you a few moves."

Grinning, Sokka gave a enthusiastic nod.

"I'd be honored!"

Katara watched the exchange from Appa, feeling shocked and a bit jealous all at once. The latter would prove to puzzle the waterbender for a good bit.

Katara didn't even _like_ swords.

* * *

Zuko was no longer in his thick, completely-appropriate-for-the-weather parka and was trying not to shiver in his black tunic and leggings as he snaked about the town. Trying to accomplish _something_ while Katara and Sokka got to go live it up in a neutral port.

The Mayor obviously wasn't going to give Aang a trial unless the wonder-duo managed to find a four-hundred year old woman who happened to look a _lot_ like Kyoshi to confess in Aang's stead. So.

Sneaking time.

Slipping down from the roof of the Mayor's home, Zuko quietly opened the window and slipped inside.

 _Now,_ Zuko thought. _If I was a bunch of secret files, where would I be?_

Zuko went through the building systematically. Sweeping the place until he came to a big room with a disgustingly expensive-looking desk in it.

Bingo.

Carefully (and more importantly, quietly) the Prince-in-Hiding slid the door shut. Tip-toeing over as he began to look through the papers on the said disgustingly expensive-looking desk.

Zuko apparently wasn't being too fucking careful because he elbowed a handful off when he went to check the drawer, as it was obviously full of secrets.

Looking at the mess, Zuko sighed.

"Agni, kill me.."

Crouching down, Zuko didn't get a chance to start cleaning up his mess before a familiar hand writing caught his eyes and the blood drained from his body.

It was his sister's handwriting.

What the fuck was Azula doing messaging the _Mayor of Chin?_

Getting to his feet, Zuko panic-addled brain very much didn't like what he was reading as the door slid shut behind him.

Whipping around, he met the Mayor's eyes. Feeling sick.

"You lied to us."

"I did no such thing," The Mayor denied. "I agreed to give the Avatar a fair trial. Your little sister picking you up has nothing to do with that."

Clenching his fists, Zuko didn't much care for the crunching of paper as his heart pounded angrily in his head.

"Do you have any idea what they'd do to me?! What those people did to me?!"

"As far as I'm concerned, it's what you get from hanging around a murderer."

Sneering, the Mayor lazily admired his nails. A smirk on his face.

"You're trapped. My guards can handle one measily waterbender, so you may as well surrender. Play nice and I'll make your holding cell tolerable."

"You're lying," Zuko muttered, gritting his teeth. "You're a liar just like her."

"Hey now, I've never-"

"SHUT UP!" Zuko shouted, his left hand already up and blood bending the Mayor against the wall. The man's eyes bulging as he started to slid towards the ceiling. "Just shut the fuck up for one fucking second!"

Leaning against the stupid, expensive desk, Zuko ignored the way the Mayor's heart was racing. Thinking of what to do.

What would Azula do?

What would his sister be expecting?

Looking back to the Mayor, Zuko met his eyes as he let his fist close.

* * *

**Chapter 6 is done :D as we speak I am watching my new puppy meet my bunnies, so overall the day has been good for me**

**Hope you enjoyed, lemme know what you think in the comments below, like, and share!**


	7. Kidnapping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and Aang avoid Azula like champs

Aang looked up as the prison door slammed open, expecting to see Zuko with some maybe-smuggled-and-or-stolen dinner, but instead saw his Sifu was several different levels of distressed and empty-handed.

"What happened?"

"We have to get out of here." Was his Sifu's way of answering, and Aang noticed he wasn't in his green coat anymore. _"Now."_

Zuko waved his hand, frost rapidly gathering on the bars as they twisted and groaned. Standing up, Aang stepped back as they fell forwards with a crash. He looked back up at Zuko.

"What's wrong?"

Zuko stared blankly at the ground in respond.

 _"Zuko."_ Aang tried again, voice stern like the older Monk's got when he did something they didn't like. "What. Happened?"

"The mayor backstabbed us, okay?!" Zuko snapped, gold eyes snapping up to Aang's. "We're _fucked_ unless we beat her here."

 _"Who_ here?"

* * *

Katara and Sokka approach the village of Chin with a fair bit of pep before fear replaced it: the sight of Fire Nation soldiers pulling them behind a building faster than hands could try.

"There aren't a lot of them." _Compared to Zhao's last attack_. "We could take them."

"If Chin helps..." Katara bit her lip. "Do you think they already have Aang?"

"Not if they are still looking; Your boyfriend must have gotten him to safety."

Katara gave Sokka an indignant look before a shout drew both their attention to the matter at hand.

"Find him!" A short soldier in Fire Nation armour shouted in the face of an Earth Kingdom soldiers. "Or else I'll show you all what happens when you break a promise with the Fire Nation."

Sokka jaw set as he realized what that meant: Chin must have betrayed them. It looked like even the Earth Kingdom couldn't be trusted.

"Please, have mercy." The soldier fell to his knees as people started getting dragged from their homes. "He killed our Mayor, he's a-"

"As if Zuzu would have the stomach."

Turning on her heels, the first thing that the Water Tribe Siblings could register was the Soldiers _blue_ eyes.

Her tan face twisted in anger as she gripped her scarf. The words, "My brother was always _weak."_ Were bitter.

* * *

Zuko was making swords.

"We're going to have to make a run for it," He said, passing one into Aang's hands. "Aim for the soldiers legs: it won't kill them, but it will slow them down."

Aang was still giving him a worried-concern look. "What about Katara and Sokka?"

"Your grip is wrong."

"I can just airbend- Don't change the subject. If we leave they won't be able to find us- they have _Appa."_

"If we stay my sister will catch us!" Zuko snapped, sending a panicked look down below as his whisper-yells veered a bit too close to normal yelling.

Luckily Azula had his vocal cords.

Turning back to Aang with a strained look, Zuko adjusted Aang's grip on the blade.

"Look," He began. "I'm not going to lie to you, they probably won't. But we can find them later: but there isn't going to be a later for either of us if we get caught, okay?"

"We could try talking to her."

"Azula is bad at conversation."

"So are you." Zuko sent Aang a glare for that. "But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to help you, right?"

Zuko set his jaw in a pained sort of way.

"..I don't think she wants to be helped."

Not anymore, at least.

* * *

Sokka and Katara had two very different reactions to Zuko's apparent sister.

Sokka had felt the bottom of his stomach give out as suddenly a lot of things made sense.

Katara had grabbed his machete and decided to attack.

"KATARA!"

The soldier just ducked under his sister's attack, blue eyes widening as she flipped away.

Katara's own narrowed.

"You're lying!" She shouted, "Zuko is kind and brave and everything the Fire Nation isn't! He'd never call a soldier like you his sister!"

Shaking the surprise off of her face, Zuko's-evil-twin smirked.

"So Zuzu _was_ here." Tapping her chin, the other girl gave a laugh as Katara only got angrier. "Shame. I think even _he_ could do better."

Sokka had to jump out and grab Katara before she could take the bait. The other Chin soldiers were doing _nothing_ , and if the Earth Kingdom soldiers were doing nothing now, they weren't going to start even if _they_ did something.

Sokka hated doing nothing.

"I suppose it's too much to hope you'll tell me where he went?" Seeing their rigid stance, The Fire Nation girl with the water tribe eyes gave a sigh. Fire coming to her fingers.

She looked back up at them with a smirk.

"I guess I'll just have to burn it out of you."

Yelping, Sokka and Katara both leapt to the side as a fireball burned their way. The armored girl being not far behind.

Training with Suki for the day had been great: she had taught Sokka to use his enemies' weight against them, to fight with a fan, to look for openings.

A day of training with Suki wasn't enough to beat _her_.

* * *

Aang felt he was decent at stealth.

Playing non-voluntary hide and seek with the elders at the Southern Air Temple was easy. They never looked up or in tiny places, and never expected to be suspicious of the lemurs.

The same principle surprisingly applied to taking down enemy soldiers: hide from above or in really really uncomfortably tight places while his lemur (not Momo, Zuko) worked to incapacitate soldiers while he and his "obnoxiously orange and yellow" person made distracting noises.

Zuko only hit them with the blunt of the blade. It wasn't a good thing, but Aang knew he was just going to have to live with that. He couldn't save anyone in jail or worse.

Making their way out of town, they were just nearing the woods when something big, wooly, and adorable put a giant hole in their plans.

"Appa?"

Aang ran up to his oldest friend, rubbing Appa's nose as he made low happy sounds as Zuko hesitantly followed.

"Katara? Sokka?" Zuko called out, Aang looking around their camp. Brow forwarding as he recognized how... relatively undisturbed it was.

There were only a few tracks, and they led right back to Chin.

Aang felt his heart drop at the same moment Zuko started sprinting back to town, moments later he registered a loud scream.

* * *

Katara was in a cold, metal cell. Hands and feet chained.

The fire nation girl with the traitorous eyes sat across from her, a tension in her gaze.

"So you're not going to tell me anything about how Zuzu fights or where he lives?" The soldier asked, folding her hands in her lap as she had the gal to pout. "Not even for _your_ big brother?"

Katara glared hatefully back. The other girl sighed.

"You realize that your cooperation isn't going to change anything, yes?" She tilted her head, black hair falling with the movement. "Zuko is going to come for you regardless, his mushy heart wouldn't tolerate less."

"Because he's not your brother." Katara bit out. "Not anymore, Zuko isn't a thing like you.:

The other girl just smiled.

"That's what you think. You forget he's also Hama's son."

* * *

**Yoooo I've finally felt up to coming back to this! Love the idea, unfort I often feel really mentally drained kgjghgv**

**Hope you like this chapter! I think its a bit shorter than normal but its where the dice fell :/ lemme know what you think in the comments!**

**Will Zuko and Aang be able to save the sibs? What is going on with Azula? Will Zuko be able to earn their trust once they know the full truth?**

**Find out next time!**


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